keith



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. N. S. KEITH.

ELECTRIC LIGHT REGULATOR.

No. 257,588. Patented May 9,1882.

Wimesses Xww euuw 9/446 M & W

(No Model.) 36heets-Sheet 3.

N. S. KEITH.

ELECTRIC LIGHT REGULATOR. No. 257,588. Patented May 9,1882.

Fig. 4/

W'Lmgsses KXW enter 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHANIEL S. KEITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-LIGHT REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,588, dated May 9,1882.

Application filed July 27,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NATHANIEL S. KEITH, acitizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulElectric-Light Regulator, of which the followin g is a specification.

My invention relates to the feeding and regulating devices of electriclamps; and its object is to produce a feeding mechanism that shall beperfectly steady and uniform in its action, and shall be free from thedefects of voverfeeding, vibration of the electromagnetic supportingdevices for the carbon, accidental release of the carbon-carryin g rodby a sudden jar communicated to the lamp, and other disadvantagesincident to the constructions now in general use.

In carrying out my invention 1 make use of an electromagnetic motor in aderived circuit, which is geared or connected to the carboncarrier, sothat the movement of the latter in both directions is dependent whollyupon the movement of the motor. The reversal of movement in thecarbon-carrier is produced either by positively reversing the directionof movement of the electro-magnetic motor or by operating areversing-clutch interposed in the train of gear between the motor andthe carbon-carrier, the reversal being in either case depend ent uponthe movement of devices actuated and controlled by electro-magnetsplaced in a derived circuit to the arc and in the main or principalcircuit with the carbons.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, partly insection, of mylamp. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the circuits in themotor and reversing device more in detail. Fig. 3 shows a modificationof the devices for reversing the motor in response to the changes in thelength of arc; Figs. 4 and 5 show in side and plan view a modifiedarrangement for reversing the movement of the carbon-carrier withoutreversing the direction of rotation of the motor-armature.

Referring to Fig. 1, A and B represent the bottom and top plates of thelamp frame or casing. From the lower plate, B, the lowercarbon carrieris suspended in the usual manner. The upper-carbon carrier, 0, isprovided with a rack, which gears with a pinion, 0, upon the wheel of aworm-gear, D E. The worm E is formed upon the shaft, or an extension ofthe shaft, of an electro magnetic motor, F, which is fed by a derivedcircuit, in the manner to be presently explained.

The motor here shown consists of three sets of electro-magnets, 1, 2,and 3, as shown in Fig. 2, placed symmetrically on a shaft and rotatingwithin a rectangular casing, G, of iron. The commutator of the motor isof the construction described in the patent to O. J. 13. Gaume, No.211,985, dated February 4, 1879; and it consists of a series of platesor segments, every third one of \vhichis joined to the same metallicdisk or plate, which in turn is electrically connected to one of theelectro-magnets 1 2 3. Thus, referring to Fig.2, the segments marked 1are electrically connected to one terminal of the electro-magnet 1, thesegments marked 2 and 3 in a similar manner to the electro-magnets 2 and3 respectively. The other terminals of the electromagnets are joinedtogether and t0 the shaft of the machine, which is in electricalconnection with the frame of the lamp and the binding-post I.

H and H represent commutator-wheelsbearing upon the segments andelectrically connected to contact-points Sand 6, through which thecircuit is closed by the action of the regulating electro-magnets. Thenthe circuit is closed through E and 5 the motor is caused to rotate in adirection indicated by the arrow, thus allowing the upper carbon to movedownward by gravity, so as to shorten the distance between it and thelower carbon. In this operation the movement of the carrier dependsentirely upon the movements of the motor. In the construction here shownthe speed of movement of the last wheel of the train may be suf ficientto increase the speed of movement of the carrier beyond that which wouldnaturally belong to it if gravity alone acted, and themotor may thus actas a propelling motor. If, however, the speed of the last wheel of thetrain be less than that which would naturally belong to the carrier, themotor will act partially to retard the carrier; but in both cases, aswillreadily be seen, the carrier moves \vith'the motor,

and is dependent entirely upon such motor for its feeding movement.\Vhen the circuit through H and 5 is broken and that through H and 6closed the direction ofrotation of the armature-magnets is reversed,thus lifting the upper carbon and lengthening the arc. The reversal ofthe motor is due to the fact that the wheel H is placed so as to bearupon a segment of the set-adjoining that upon which H bears. In theposition of the parts shown in Fig. 2, H and H are arranged to bearsimultaneously upon segments 3 and 2 respectively, so that if thecircuit be closed through H the magnet 3 will be attracted toward theside of the case, thus setting up a rotation in a direction indicated bythe arrow, while,vice versa, if the circuit be closed through H and 2the magnet 2 will be attracted toward the side of the case, and theseveralmagnets will be drawn toward the sides of the case in thesuccession 2 3 1, thus producing rotation in the opposite direction.

K and L represent main and derived circuit magnets respectively,arranged as usual, the one, K, in direct circuit with the arc, and theother, L, in a derived circuit around the are. These electromagnets actin opposition to one another upon an armature-lever, M, which iselectrically connected to the binding-post N, and is adapted to makeelectrical contact with the point 5 or the point 6 under thepreponderating attraction of K or L.

The circuits through the lamp are as follows: From the post P inelectrical contact with the frame of the lamp the main circuit is tocarbonearrier 0, upper carbon,lower carbon, supporting-rod R, insulatedfrom the frame, electromagnet K, and to exit-post N.

The path of the current through the derivedcircuit magnet L is from thepost P, frame of the lamp, wire 7, connected to the frame, coils of L,wire 8, attached to the insulated support R of the armature-lever, wire9 to post N.

The derived circuit which feeds the motor F is from P to the shaft ofthe motor, through the electro-magnets (whose terminals branch from theshaft) to the commutator, thence through wheel H or H, wire 10 or 11,point 6 or 5, armaturelever M, wire 9, and to post N.

The operation of the devices is as follows: The carbons being incontact, when the current passes the electro-magnet K draws down its endof the armature-lever and closes the derived circuit containing themotor through H, 11, 6, and 9. The motor thereupon begins to revolve ina direction to raise the upper carbon and form the are. So soon as theare begins to lengthen beyond the proper point its resistance increasessufficiently to cause the attractive effects of L, assisted byretractorweight W, or a spring, to preponderate, thus breaking thecircuit of the motor through H, and closing its circuit through theother commutator-wheel, H, through 10, 5, M, and 9, and reversing thedirection of the rotation of the motor, so that the carbon now movesdownward and shortens the are to the regulated point. When thearmature-lever is in an intermediate position the friction of thewormgear prevents the upper carbon from falling by gravity. The samecause prevents the carbon from being accidentally fed by a jar orconcussion. Should the lamp be started with the carbons out of contact,the armature-lever M would, when the current passes, be held in contactwith stop 5, thus preserving the circuit through H and causing the motorto rotate in the proper direction for propelling the carbon downward.This movement would continue until the carbons are brought into contact,whereupon the magnet K would close contact 6, and the motor wouldreverse its movement and separate the carbons to form the arc. \Vhen thelamp is burning with an arc of the proper length the attractive effectsupon lever M are balanced and the motor is stationary, neither of itscommutatorwheels being in circuit.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the commutator-wheels H and H areattached to the regulating armature-lever. YVhen the attraction of Kpreponderates wheel H is brought into contact with thecommutator-segments, and so long as it remains in contact the motorrevolves in a proper direction for separating the carbons. when H isbrought into contact with the segments, and the upper-carbon carrier isthus moved in a direction to cause the carbons to approach.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the main and derived circuitcoils T and S control the movements of a lever, 12, pivoted at 13,supporting on one arm axial cores for the coils, and actuating by itsother arm a reversing-clutch, 14, of any approved construction, which isattached to the shaft of the wormgear propelling the carbon, and whichis made to engage with either wheel 15 or 16, as the effects of thecurrent in T or S preponderate. \Vheel15 engages directly with pinion 17upon the shaft of the motor, which is in a continuously closed derivedcircuit, and therefore moves continuously in the same direction, whilewheel 16 is geared to pinion 17 through wheels 21 and 22, and is thusmade to revolve continuously in an opposite direction from 15.

, The lamp is here shown as provided with the ordinary back ratchet,connected to the shaft and wheel gearing with the carbon-carrier, sothat the latter may be raised freely without moving the other wheels ofthe train when a new .carbon is to be inserted. By the above means theportion of the gear-train connected directly to the carrier is made tomovein either direction by the action of the electric motor, so that thecarbon-carrier may be lifted to form the are, or may be allowed to movein a downward direction to lessen the distance between it and the lowercarbon, its movement in the latter direction depending upon the speed ofmovement of that wheel of the motor-train with which it gears.

When the coils S and T balance one another in their effect upon thelever 12, which is the A reversal of the motor occurs a case so long asthe arc is of the proper length, the clutch is held in an intermediateposition out of contact with both wheels 15 and 16.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination of a carbon-carrier,an electric motor gearing with said carrier, so as to control itsmovement in both directions, said motor being placed in a derived orbranch circuit, devices, substantially as described, for reversing thedirection of movement of that portion of the motor-train which engageswith the carrier, and two regulating or controlling electro-magnetsoperating said reversing devices, one of said magnets being placed in aderived circuit to the carbons and the other in the main or principalcircuit with said carbons.

2. The combination of a carbon-carrier, an electric motor geared theretoand placed in a derived or branch circuit, circuit-closing devices forreversing the movement of the elec tric motor, and two regulating orcontrolling electro-magnets for operating said circuit-closing devices,one of said magnets being placed in a derived circuit to the carbons andthe other in the main or principal circuit with the carbons.

3. The combination, substantially as described, of a carbon-carrier, anelectromagnetic motor gearing with the carrier and provided with twocommutator wheels or brushes bearing upon its commutator-cylinder in themanner set forth, said motor being placed in a derived or branchcircuit, and devices, sub stantially as described, which close thecircuit to one or the other ot'the commutator-brushes, so as to reversethe direction of rotation of the motor.

4. The combination, substantially as described, of a carbon-carrier, anelectro-magnetic motor in a branch or derived circuit,

geared to said carrier, a two-point circuit-closer or derived circuit,provided with a commutator -cylinder, and independent commutator wheelsor collectors, applied in the manner described to saidcommutator-cylinder, so that the motor may be made to revolve in eitherdirection by closing the circuit through one or the other of saidcollectors, a circuit-closer joined to the collectors, opposingelectro-magnets in the main or principal circuit and in a derivedcircuit to the are, substantially as described.

6. The combination, substantially as described, of a carboncarrier, anelectromagnetic motor in aderived circuit, provided with independentcommutator brushes or collectors, and a pivoted armature-lever, main andderived circuit electro-magnets acting upon said lever, andcircuit-connections, as described,the whole so arranged that when theattraction of the main-circuit magnet preponderates the circuit of themotor is closed through one of the collectors and the motor revolves inone direction, while, vice versa, when the attraction of thederived-circuit magnet preponderates the circuit is closed throughtheother collector and the motor revolves in the opposite direction.

N. S. KEITH.

Witnesses H. O. TOWNSEND, THOMAS ONEIL.

